The Sins of the Innocent
by Erin Reya
Summary: Ahh.. a Harry Potter fic, what was I thinking? Couldn't help myself. A classic example of Whodunnit. So WHODUNNIT? Will master investigator Harry find out?


****

Disclaimer: I own everything. Yeah right. If only.

Okay, so like.. a reprieve from Redwall. Not like I ever need one. Alas.. a Harry Potter fic from Yrs. Truly. I was compelled.

Read if you dare.

**********

Seventh year sucks.

That's all that went through Harry's mind as he stumbled sleepily through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor Common Room late at night. Curse those end of the year exams. They were surely some new-age form of torture. 

He was closely followed by Hermione, flushed in the cheeks, yet seeming more refreshed and pleased than tired. She came up beside him, clutching her books close to her chest and smiling at Harry.

Harry pushed his knuckles up beneath his glasses and rubbed his green eyes with a large yawn. "I can't believe you talked me into going to study with you in the library. I should've followed Ron's example and gone up to bed."

"Oh Harry, you know it wasn't so bad. You'll thank me later."

He replied with a grumble. "Yes, I'll be thanking you when I'm so tired and I can't see straight, and I can't possibly take the exams because I WON'T BE CONSCIOUS."

Hermione bit her lip, looking hurt as she flashed her brown eyes on Harry, raising her eyebrow's when he snapped at her.

He sighed. "I'm sorry, Hermione. You're right, I'll be thanking you. Don't mind me, I'm just tired."

She nodded, and there was a moment of silence. She was looking down, shuffling her feet awkwardly.

After a glance around, Harry was aware they were the only two up and in the Common Room this late at night. Not a position he wanted to be in. Sucking in a breath, he turned back to Hermione. "Good night then. See you tomorrow morning."

She flashed him a smile as she began walking towards the girl's staircase. "Bright and early."

"Don't remind me," he said under his breath, and trudged up the other set of stairs. He slid into the dormitory where the seventh year Gryffindor boys bunked and collapsed onto his bed without removing his clothes.

He was startled by a voice from the next bed. "Where have you been?"

Sitting back up, he looked across to Ron, who was staring accusingly at Harry. "I was in the library studying, remember?"

"With Hermione?"

"Well yeah-"

"Don't you think you two were studying kind of late? All alone?"

Harry blinked his eyes at his best friend. Too tired to try and puzzle out Ron's motive, he asked point-blank, in a voice thick with drowsiness. "What's your point?"

Somehow, Ron seemed to take Harry's light attitude as sarcasm, and shot back coldly. "Hermione's mine!"

Harry gave a small sigh. Ron was so insecure, he'd known it for a long time. Before even bothering to reply, he let his eyes skim over to the picture that sat by Ron's bed.

An easy enchantment had the frame of the picture gently glowing, so even now the moving photo could still be seen. It depicted a rather tall, pretty girl with her arms linked around the neck of a blushing, lanky, red-haired boy. It was a picture of Hermione, smiling and hugging her boyfriend, Ron, who in turn was blushing and smiling sheepishly at the giggling Hermione.

Shaking his head, Harry lay back down, fingers locked together behind his head as he stared up. "Ron, you know I don't have feelings for Hermione. You could have just as easily come and studied with us."

"I don't believe you," Ron replied rather too quickly.

If Harry wasn't so tired, he'd get angry back at Ron for being so accusing. "Come on, I've been your best friend since first year. Give me a break."

There was a moment of silence, then a rather vehement "Fine," from Ron. With a breath of relief, Harry closed his eyes.

A minute later, he heard Ron mumble "I'm studying with her next time." Harry smiled and rolled over. 

"Good night Ron."

**********

Harry woke abruptly to a loud 'thud.' Jumping up suddenly, his head darted back and forth, eyes wide. He let out a very irritated groan when he saw what the source of the noise was. Neville lay sprawled out, having tripped flat on his face beside Harry's bed on his way out the door.

"Neville.." Harry drew out with another groan, rubbing his eyes. "What did you trip over this time?"

"His own damn feet," came the reply from across the room. Seamus was sitting up in bed, looking every bit as annoyed as Harry felt. The light in the room was minimal, it was barely dawn yet.

"Getting in an early morning cramming session before exams, Neville?" Harry asked, a slight shudder running through him, even though it wasn't chilly in the room. The darkness was just rather consuming.

The bumbling form of Neville got clumsily to his feet, wincing at he rubbed his kneecaps. "Y-yeah, that's it. You guys go back to sleep. Er.. sorry for waking you. Yeah.." With that he left the room quickly. Seamus and Harry exchanged glances just as they heard another thud. Rolling their eyes, they both fell back in their beds.

**********

In the morning, or rather a more earthly hour of the morning, Harry and Seamus stood conversing in monotones in the corner as they pulled on their school robes. "Is is just me or did Neville seem to be hiding something?"

"Hell yeah, Neville couldn't lie his way out of a paper bag," was Seamus's blatant reply. "Where is he now anyway?"

Harry shrugged, casting his eyes around the dorm. "Maybe he's in the library."

Seamus scoffed. "Didn't we just agree he lied about studying?"

Before Harry could answer, a loud scream came from downstairs in the common room. Looking at each other, all the boys in the room ran out to see what had happened.

The scene they saw was a limp girl laying on the common room floor and only one other person standing nearby. Neville stood staring, his eyes wide with fear and his chubby hands clasped over his mouth.

**********

****

A/N~ Enter reviews. Flames welcome. I'm a Redwall person after all ;). Continue or not to continue.. that is the question..


End file.
